I could really use a disabled parking badge as I have both asthma and ILD and am pretty breathless most of the time.
I discovered I need to have PIP to get one. Can I even qualify for PIP with lung desease?
Disabled parking: I could really use a... - Lung Conditions C...
Disabled parking
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Wheezysister
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64 Replies
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you don’t need a PIP to qualify for a Blue Badge. You need a condition which limits your ability to access the places that you want to go to and some medical backing from a GP or consultant to prove this. I had a BB because of my bronchiectasis since 1998. In 2014 Warwick CC decided to send me for an assessment! In addition to passing me with no problem, the assessor was so angry about it that she suggested that I apply for a PIP. I was given ten years PIP with 16 walking points which gave me automatic renewal of the BB. Before you get into the complicated mire of applying for a PIP, try applying via your council’s website for the BB and include all evidence of how much your mobility is compromised. I discovered that our GP surgery now has a social prescriber. Part of her job is to help with BB applications. It may be worth finding out if your surgery have one to help you.Good luck.
Wheezysister in reply to
Thanks. I am in London and my council will only give BBs to PIP recipients. I was shocked at that tbh.
in reply to Wheezysister
They can't do that. It is illegal. You can find the conditions for granting a BB on the govt website. Speak to your MP. I complained to mine when my CC sent me for assessment and he blew their shoes off!
Wheezysister in reply to
Thankd a million!
Bevvy in reply to
Unfortunately some local authorities DO refuse blue badges unless a person is in receipt of PIP and therefore automatic with Mobility award. I also live in London and my local authority point blank refused unless I received (then) high rate mobility DLA. I used to assess for blue badges (a long time ago) and know they were wrong but there was no budging them. I had gp letters, consultant letters plus letters from MP but they still wouldn’t agree. They argued that if I was so bad I needed a blue badge I should be in receipt of DLA. I believe my age went against me (early 40’s) but know they were still wrong.
Wheezysister - I hope you have more success then I did and I would be interested (personal message me) to know which London borough it is. I would also suggest you consider applying for PIP. This can be a gateway for other benefits as well as a blue badge. Worth considering. If you decide to apply then come back here and we can make some suggestions before you complete forms, which can be tricky and need careful thought.
NB - just seen borough is Westminster, mine was Redbridge. As shown above they refused point blank. What I would suggest is don’t go by what you read on a website, actually speak to them to confirm criteria for blue badge through them.
The Council cannot make up their own criteria. Certain conditions mean a blue badge is automatic but that is not the end of the story. In addition there are further conditions regarding walking distances. Saying unless you receive benefits you cannot qualify is bunkum.
Davegt am not going to argue with you. I KNOW the council were wrong (I used to assess for badges myself at one point). I involved lots of different people, including gp, consultant, even MP! But there was NO shifting them, they kept insisting if I was having so many difficulties I would be on (then) DLA. I argued and argued. No idea where I would have gone to if I hadn’t been awarded high rate DLA. Once I had the award they issued badge within 24hrs because clearly staff were not happy with management treatment/attitude.
I was just making the point that some councils ARE difficult, especially when person is young (I was in early 40’s)unless person has automatic right to badge.
Bevvy I am certainly not arguing with you. I am on your side. I get upset when I hear that some councils are not following the rules. I was not for one minute suggesting you are talking bunkum. The council are depriving some genuine people from getting a blue badge. That is shameful. No arguments Bevvy we are on the same side.👍❤️
That’s fine. It was just the way I read your response. I felt you were saying that either it wasn’t true or I should have tried harder to get badge. That’s part of the problem with communication this way. It is easy to read things wrongly that were said. So all good here!
My bad I should have written it differently. Oops! As I said I am on your side. I have COPD and use ambulatory oxygen. I have good and bad days and sometimes can be out of breath moving around in my home, especially if I need to bend forward. I have a hiatus hernia that has a negative impact on breathing. I have considered applying for a blue badge but the negative comments I read from time to time put me off. I am in my 70's and receive no form of disability benefit. If I do decide to apply I would ask CAB for help.
I am glad I was able to clear up any misunderstanding. Take care 👍😀
From what you said I would have thought you would be eligible for Attendance Allowance. You would still need to separately apply for blue badge because mobility isn’t part of Attendance Allowance. I would be surprised if you weren’t eligible for blue badge and think you should apply. BB form is very straightforward and probably wouldn’t need CAB help for it. AA would definitely benefit from help to complete. I’ve just done my dads with him, whereas blue badge he just sorted himself.
Bevvy many thanks for your help. That is something else to consider.👍🥰
I really encouraged my dad to apply for AA. It gives him some extra money to help pay for carers, cleaner or taxi’s if required. I use my PIP for cleaner, extra mobility aids such as fancy mobility scooters!! Proper ready meals - I struggle to cook these days. Supermarket food deliveries. And so on.
My blue badge is invaluable even though I’ve had it for years. Prior to having it, I had to go supermarket at 07.00 to ensure I could park near by! It’s one of reasons I fought so hard for it. Now parking opportunities are opened up with BB.
You absolutely can get PIP for chronic lung conditions. I have asthma and COPD and have been awarded PIP.
It’s not the condition someone has that means someone will be eligible for PIP or Attendance Allowance (AA). It’s about how a person is affected by the condition (s) on a daily basis. Most of us here have lung conditions or are a carer for someone with a lung condition. It doesn’t necessarily mean everyone here will be eligible for PIP/AA.
Jaybird19 in reply to
Yes we have a social advisor . She suggested that i might find interesting to join a group renovating a rusty metal fireplace !! I didnt answer that one . Can you imagine me with lung problem helping to remove all that rust!*&
But it was snow angels charity who did all the work to get me a blue badge. Told its is there at council and approved but it doesnt arrive here. "In the post " since then have have emergency abdominal op at hospital a month ago , and still waiting .
Sorry to hear that
Blue badges are applied for from local authorities - mine is from Kent County Council. I do not have PIP or any other support benefits. Certainly Kent does not require this and and I assume criteria for qualifying for a blue badge are consistent throughtout the UK. Hope you can get one Wheezysister. When applying you need to answer as to how you are on your worst days, not your best. 
Thanks fornthe response. I am in london and my councul, Westminster, give BBs to PIP recipients only, according to what I read in their website. Most annoying.
That is extremely annoying because that is not what the law says. They need taking to task on that.
Ah - this makes sense. Westminster are rubbisgh - they dont even observe the national BB standard of being able to park for three hours on (non-dangerous) double yellow lines - within their own borough I mean.
I didn’t need PIP to get mine. It’s done by the local authority. Look up disabled parking on their site. You need a passport type photo. And it helps to have documentation from a consultant with diagnoses.
Good luck
They took my photo at the Council office with an instant camera xxSheila
Age UK took mine. It was marginally less hideous than my bus pass one.
I went to my local Council office. That was for the first time I was applying. They refused me on the day and said I needed a letter from my GP . No problem after and got the Badge.
Apparently if you are on Mobility Allowance it comes automatically when you apply. .I am not on this benefit. I renewed online this year and added documents as many as I could find to verify I still had condition. Had a letter from GP again. Hopefully next time I can go into office , but somehow everything is online thesedays . Dont think we will ever get back to Normal. 🙈
xxSheila
I can't add to the excellent advice given except to say if you want to apply for PIP it's not what illness you have but how it affects you. I would get help filling the forms in from the CAB or a disability group etc. as the questions are tricky.
For example if they say can you do this and you can instead of just saying yes (no points) tell them it takes you an hour and you are in paid and knackered after doing it. One of the criteria is being able to do things safely and in a timely manner.
Online you will find a lot of info about this including how to fill the forms in. Good luck.
I have a Blue Badge and don't have PIP.
Wheezysister, if you go onto Westminster Council site for Blue Badge Application the first paragraph is about automatic qualification which is for people with PIP and other benefits. The second paragraph says non-automatic qualification. I've copied and pasted from their website....
Apply for a disabled badge (as an individual) 1A - non-automatic qualification (PDF, 503KB). This form is for those applicants who will not or may not automatically qualify for a badge without further assessment.
This is where you should apply. Make sure that the information you give is about your worst days with lung disease and how it prohibits you from doing things.
Good luck Wheezysister.
You are a star! Thank you so, so much!
in reply to Annscottie
well done Annscottie for making your way through the deliberately obtuse wording of the Westminster Council website. Let's hope that thanks to you Wheezysister will be able to get her Blue Badge.
Wheezysister in reply to
FYI I have formally complained in writing via email to my local councillor to get that wording sorted. I am sure I'm not the only one who got misled. Thanks again Annscottie!
do apply for one online.there is an alternative way if u dont have pip .fill in accurately& it will direct you.youll be asked to upload s photo,proof of identity etc
apply for pip too
I have ILD on oxygen 24 7 plus a few more complications. I'm on DLA and have a blue badge. If you go onto your local councils website you will find all of the relevant information on there. When I got the first blue badge I wasn't on disability benefit, just had to say what my medical conditions were. I'm not sure if the rules have changed but it's worth having a look.
Morning,
I have IPF and was granted PIP following a letter from my GP.
Subsequently i then applied for a disabled badge which was successful.
They will assess your day to day mobility issues and with you having an ILD you certainly will have lots.
Check on GOV.UK for guidance etc..
Stay safe…
👍👍
Even getting Pip does not automatically mean your Local Council will issue a blue badge. I had a blue badge for about 6 years. When it was due for renewal I had moved to another council area and it was refused, even though they had put a disabled parking bay outside my house. I appealed and after months of frustration I successfully got my blue badge. Even though I still need to renew it every few years I wont be reassessed . Its worth you applying and if necessary appealing. Good luck
l am not on any Benefits but have a Blue Badge .I had to provide proof of my condition Severe COPD when applying. I do receive the higher rate Attendance Allowance and I provided letters from my GP and Respiratory Team . Sheila.
blue badge
the answer is yes,I have one with lung diseases.pip
I’ve just applied and got one for my mum in law. I did it on line and it was simple. Then they wrote back to say they needed medical history for her, the doctors printed off a sheet going back years. Then they said they needed a medical letter, the next thing before we got a doctors letter they wrote to say it was in the post. Have a go online.
I don’t know what PIP is. I have ILD, am on oxygen 24/7, and have pulmonary hypertension. I filled in the form for my local authority giving details of my limitations, medications, consultants and uploaded a photo I took of myself with my phone. I received a blue badge within a fortnight.
PIP stands for Personal Independence Payment and is paid to people under retirement age who are struggling with day to day tasks. It’s comparable to Attendance Allowance that older people can apply for.
Thank you!
I don’t have PIP, I have DLA but only the personal help part. I got my blue badge in May. I have RA, severe asthma and a lung disease, bronchiecstasis.
Good day if you live in the uk try citzens advise bearu try the birimgham branch they then sorce it to your nearest branch just have a local telephone number i e local doctors they sorce nearest office to you they will help you ghoust rider
No, you don't need PIP for a Blue Badge. Apply via the website gov.uk/apply-blue-badge .
I didn't have pip when I first applied for my blue badge from the council I do have MS when I applied just sent copies of my consultants
I have a Blue Badge and was assessed by an Occupational Therapist on the Local Authority Accessible Transport Team. My GP wrote a letter of support. My walking is very bad due to COPD and Emphysema. Some great advice from Bevvy and others here. Best of luck and hope you are successful
Hi there, Blue badges are not just for those on PIP however each council sets its own rules and high rate PIP mobility has become a standard guideline for many, unfair none the less, maybe even illegal . Our council sets a criteria for other grants like that it says only wheelchair bound can have grants for ramps more specifically those who use wheelchairs indoors. This criteria is indirect disability discrimination on the growns of the severity of disability. But I understand they have to draw a line somewhere in the criteria process , just like the financial side restricts how many grants they can give in a year. Good luck with your claim.
My council - North Somerset - recently declined to renew my blue badge. The accompanying letter basically said that if you can walk you don't need a Blue Badge and helpfully informed me that 'support' from a GP did not count! Very unhelpful!
sorry to hear that. Like so many things these days, post code makes a difference.
As I have indicated in previous responses, some councils can be (illegally) very difficult if not automatically eligible. However it is still worth persevering. I would definitely challenge that response. Even high rate mobility PIP does not mean you cannot walk at all!! Person can only walk very limited. But low rate mobility will also get blue badge……
Debs_ALUKPartnerBritish Lung Foundation
Hi Wheezysister
Some great advice on here from the members.
You may also find these links helpful. You can call the Citizens advice as well for any help you need filling the forms in.
blf.org.uk/support-for-you/...?
citizensadvice.org.uk/about...
Take care
Debs
You do not need a pip - just apply to your county council. With a letter from your GP or similar health professional. Even so they may ask you to attend an assessment. It is not hard but you need to be unable to walk 20 metres or so without becoming breathless.
I think maybe the problem is that because of severe parking demands, Westminster and some other London boroughs don't operate the national blue badge scheme within their areas. They have their own white badge scheme which is similar but more restrictive eligibility. They do say that if you don't qualify for a white badge you may still be eligible for a blue one which presumably you could use in other places which do operate the national blue badge scheme. It might be worth exploring that with them.
It is worth applying for PIP, but it is a good idea to look at how they assess it first. It is based on a points based system with points given for where you meet the criteria. It is not based on the illnesses themselves but on what you can / can't do each day. There are two different parts one for care (and it doesn't matter if you don't get help) and the other for mobility.
It is important to remember the assessment is based on what a normal could do so if you can walk 200 metres one day but can't do it regularly, repeatedly and safely for 50% of the time then counts as you can't do it.
You can do a self-assessment before applying to see if you might be eligible - benefitsandwork.co.uk/perso...
All the best.
thanks so much. Very helpful.
It's got really stupid on blue badge criteria ,Tell them you will take it up with your MP and see their response. If a no go then contact your MP. Hope this helps
I have recently got my disabled parking badge, I’m an oxygen user and can’t walk very far. I don’t receive PIP or any benefits apart from my state pension. I applied online… good luck
thanks.
Cheers.
Thanks to everyone for their advice. I sent in my form yesterday.
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